Chapter 2: The Devil's Den
Pain bloomed behind Ren's eyes the moment he tried to sit up. His body felt like a bundle of torn wires and overheated circuits—every nerve screaming. A soft whimper escaped him before he could bite it back.
"Don't move," Koneko said flatly, placing a hand on his back.
Her touch wasn't gentle, but it wasn't cruel either. Her fingers glowed faintly with a pale white light, warm and soothing. Some sort of healing magic? He hadn't expected that from her.
"I'm not… your pet," Ren muttered mentally, though he didn't resist the treatment.
Koneko glanced down, eyes narrowing slightly. "I never said you were."
That shut him up.
They were still in the forest clearing, though the danger had long passed. Rias sat on a nearby boulder, arms crossed, one leg folded over the other. Her crimson hair fluttered in the breeze like living fire, eyes glowing faintly with residual demonic power.
She was watching him—not as prey, but as something curious. A puzzle.
"You're lucky Koneko found you before something else did," Rias said. "Stray Devils usually don't leave survivors."
Ren's ears twitched at that, and he managed a feeble nod. He could still feel the phantom heat of his Flame Wisp, the way it surged through him in a desperate act of survival. It had worked—barely.
"You're not a sacred beast. And yet you're clearly more than a normal kitsune," Rias continued. "And you have no contract. No master. No leash."
Her lips curved upward, not unkindly. "Strange little fox."
"I'm not little," Ren grumbled internally. "I'm seventeen. Or… I was."
[Soul Integration: 37%]
The System's display flickered again in the corner of his vision, always hovering like a quiet reminder. He only had four more days.
And that wasn't enough. Not for what he wanted.
He'd survived three by accident. He needed power—on purpose.
Back at the Gremory mansion, Ren was given a room. Or rather, a cushion in a guest wing, with a bowl of water and what looked like a plate of dried meats.
It was more than he expected.
He sniffed the food suspiciously, then devoured it before pride could convince him otherwise.
Koneko didn't speak much. She brought him the food without comment and lingered for a while after, just sitting across from him in silence. Sometimes, he caught her watching him—not warily, like he was a threat—but thoughtfully. Like she understood what it felt like to be a creature between worlds.
Or maybe that was just wishful thinking.
"You're not bound," she said on the second night. "You can leave."
Ren cocked his head.
"Rias doesn't cage those who want freedom. But if you stay, there will be rules. Battles. Blood."
He didn't respond. He just looked at her and slowly, purposefully, lay back down.
Koneko blinked once.
"…Stubborn fox."
On the third day, Rias called him to the courtyard.
Her peerage stood gathered: Akeno with her serene smile and thunder-crack aura, Kiba's sword strapped to his back, and Issei, eyeing Ren with a mix of confusion and awe.
Ren sat on his haunches, tail curled neatly around him.
Rias approached and knelt, leveling her gaze with his.
"You've survived longer than I thought. That's something," she said. "But we're not running a sanctuary. If you want to stay, you need to offer something in return."
Ren's ears flicked. He expected that. Power spoke here. He just didn't have any—yet.
"Do you know what kind of world you've landed in?" she asked.
He nodded slowly.
"And do you know what a stray devil is?"
He flinched.
Rias didn't smile this time. Her voice was quiet, almost pitying. "Strays are devils who lost their place. Who gave in to madness, bloodlust, or despair. The world you've entered is beautiful, yes. But it eats the weak."
She stood, her aura blooming outward like rose petals edged in steel.
"I see something in you. But I don't trust what I see yet. So prove me wrong."
She snapped her fingers.
Kiba stepped forward, drawing his sword.
Ren's eyes widened. "Wait, what?"
[Quest Initiated: Prove Your Will]
[Survive a combat test against Yuuto Kiba. You may surrender. Survival is sufficient.]
"I won't kill him," Kiba said gently, eyes soft. "But I won't hold back either."
Ren barely had time to move before Kiba lunged.
It was a blur.
Steel whistled past his ear—no, past his fur. Ren darted, tripped, scrambled backward. He sent out a Flame Wisp, but Kiba sliced through it with a single, fluid motion.
"You're fast," Kiba said, genuine praise in his voice. "But you hesitate."
Ren snarled. He didn't hesitate—he calculated. But that didn't matter now.
The sword came again.
Ren twisted mid-leap, his tail brushing the blade's edge. Pain flared. He hissed, dropping into a roll. His mind screamed for options, strategies, anything.
And then the System pinged.
[Skill Awakening: Foxfire Mirage – Lv.1]
[Grants 1 illusionary duplicate for 3 seconds. Cooldown: 30s]
"Yes!" Ren barked—and activated it instantly.
Two foxes now darted in different directions.
Kiba paused, startled, and slashed toward the wrong one.
Ren lunged, jaws open—not to bite, but to touch. Spirit Drain pulsed through him, siphoning a flicker of Kiba's energy.
It was like drinking fire through a straw.
He yelped and skidded back, panting.
Kiba stopped. Then lowered his sword.
"Enough."
Rias raised a hand. "Well done."
Ren was shaking. His fur was singed, his tail cut, and his heart was hammering in his chest.
But he was alive.
And for the first time since dying, he felt powerful.
That night, he stood beneath the moon in the garden, alone.
[Quest Complete: Prove Your Will]
[+2 Evolution Points Earned]
[Soul Integration: 59%]
He looked up at the stars.
"I don't care about being a pet. Or a familiar. Or some mascot for devils," he whispered. "But I'll grow stronger. I'll evolve. Not for you. Not even for them."
His tail flicked, glowing faintly at the tip.
"For me."
The System pulsed with soft light.
[Evolution Path Unlocked: Crimson-Fire Kitsune]
[Next Tail Available at Soul Integration 100%]
Ren smiled—sharp and quiet.
Let the devils watch.
The fox was just getting started.